Where there's smoke, you may find Manuel Ayala, the chef behind the barbecue at McKenna's Blues, Booze and BBQ. Ayala, 48, joined the restaurant crew in 1994 when restaurant namesake Bill McKenna was the owner.
And he's been striving to maintain McKenna's signature flavors ever since.
A native of Teloloapan, Mexico, Ayala came to the United States as a 16-year-old to take a temporary agricultural job in Washington. When his job there was over, he joined a brother working at a restaurant in Omaha. He started working at an Asian restaurant and soon discovered that he loved cooking.
Q. Did you learn to barbecue in Mexico?
A. No. It was something new for me. But I like to play and I'm still here. I learned from the previous manager and I want to do it like it was before.
Q. Is there a special technique?
A. Not too much smoke. Not too light on the smoke. I try to follow all the recipes we had before. I know pretty much all of the recipes in my head.
Q. What cuts of meat are you barbecuing?
A. Ribs, brisket and chicken. Some sausages.
Q. Do you make barbecued chicken wings?
A. We do chicken wings for appetizers (not smoked), just our special sauce.
Q. What do you like about cooking?
A. Like other people who have a profession, I love cooking. I really enjoy it. First thing in the morning I'm thinking, "It's time to go to work."
Q. Do you have a favorite cookbook?
A. I don't like cookbooks. I don't like exact proportions. Sometimes I cook different foods for the staff and they ask, "How do you cook if you don't use recipes?" I tell them mix all your flavors and mix all your colors, whatever you like, and taste what you are cooking and serving for the perfect flavor.
Q. What do you cook at home?
A. When you look at barbecue all day long, you don't eat barbecue at home. We usually have Mexican food, Asian food or Italian food.
Q. Who cooks?
A. Sometimes my wife, sometimes me. The only thing I can't cook (well) is Mexican food. I can cook Italian food, Asian food. I let my wife cook the Mexican food.
Contact the writer: 402-444-1052, [email protected]
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